1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a soft drink dispensing machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a soft drink dispensing machine device having a post mix dispensing head with an integrated bonus flavor Venturi valve. Even more specifically, the invention is directed to an external post mix dispensing head that utilizes motive energy from part of a water feed to entrain and mix a bonus flavor into a regular final beverage.
2. Related Art
Soft drink dispensing machines are well known. Examples of known soft drink dispensing machines include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,310 and 4,801,048, both entitled “Beverage Dispenser,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,188, entitled “Convertible Beverage Dispenser,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,354, entitled “Soft Drink Dispensing Machine with Modular Customer Interface Unit.” These patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Present commercially available soft drink dispensing machines typically employ various configurations for mixing syrup and either carbonated or non-carbonated liquid (usually water) in the right proportions and dispensing the mixture to create a homogeneous resultant beverage.
A typical a soft drink dispensing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,354. In this patent a soft drink dispensing machine is disclosed which includes a dispensing head that dispenses multiple beverages via a multi-flavor nozzle having a water inlet port and a plurality of syrup inlet ports. The machine also includes a source of one or more flavored syrups and a source of carbonated water, non-carbonated water, or both. Each of the water inlet ports and the plurality of syrup ports are connected to flexible tubes and ultimately to the source or sources of water and syrups which are delivered via separate multiple pumping means. Syrups have a higher viscosity than water and as such present dispensing machines require the connection of the flexible tubes extending from pressurized syrup containers to the syrup inlet ports. This configuration requires multiple pumps for multiple syrup containers which is expensive and requires large storage areas for the syrup containers and the pumps. It has been found that for a quality beverage made of a water and syrup combination, the ratio of syrup to water is usually about 1 to 5.
Several popular soft drink manufacturers have developed flavored versions of their flagship product. For example, the Coca-Cola Company sells flavored variants of its widely popular soft drink Coke. Such variants include Cherry Coke and Vanilla Coke which are widely distributed in bottles and cans. Flavored versions of the original Coke beverage can be dispensed from soft drink dispensing machines with a “bonus flavor” added to the original Coke beverage mixture.
However, it is a challenge to upgrade existing soft drink dispensing machines in a cost effective manner. Additionally, simply adding additional “bonus” flavor syrups may require additional pumping and chilling means as well as space for the syrup containers. Typically, all water and syrup lines are bundled together and chilled. Any additional “add-on” lines required after the initial installation of the soft drink dispensing machine are difficult to implement and may only be possible in a non-chilled manner. Given the optimum syrup to water ratio of 1 to 5, adding an additional non-chilled syrup will substantially influence the carbonation level, syrup to water ratio and the temperature of the final beverage.
Others have attempted to provide bonus flavor beverages via two separate and distinct dispensing nozzles, one for the original beverage and one for the bonus flavor. However in either a self serve counter environment or a business operator environment it has been found that this method leads to inconsistent beverage quality and wastefulness. Additionally, a typical soft drink dispensing machine contains a limited number, between 4 and 9, of dispensing head from which beverages may be dispensed. It would thus be desirable to provide a flavored and non-flavored beverage from a single dispensing head.
Recent achievements in soft drink technology have lead to the creation of concentrated flavored “essences” that have a viscosity similar to that of water. As such, principles of fluid dynamics apply similarly to both water and the essence used to make various desired resultant flavored beverages.
Venturi valves have also been well known in the art for some time. A Venturi valve utilizes the kinetic energy of one liquid to cause the flow of another and consists of a converging nozzle, a chamber body, and a diffuser. When a Venturi valve is in operation, pressure energy of a motive liquid is converted to velocity energy by a converging nozzle. The high-velocity liquid flow then entrains a suction liquid. Complete mixing of the motive and suction is performed in the valve body and diffuser section. The mixture of liquids is then converted back to an intermediate pressure after passing through the diffuser.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,349 discloses the use of a Venturi valve in a cappuccino, latte and espresso brewing machine. Steam flowing through the valve draws in milk, and as desired, air for foaming the milk in a vortex mixer coupled to the output of the valve. In soft drink dispensing machines however, it is desirable to prevent air from entering the system for microbiological purity.
Given the water-like viscous properties of bonus flavored essences, it would be desirable to take advantage of the motive force of a pressurized water source to draw non-pressurized essence into a soft drink dispensing machine and thereby remove the need for multiple expensive and bulky pumping means for the flavored essence and avoid complex retrofit operations.
European markets have been especially akin to use very concentrated, water-based essences for flavored beverages having a ratio of essence to beverage of between about 1 and 2 to 100. The flavored essences are very dense and concentrated requiring fairly precise measured dispensing means. For example, it has been found that optimum essence to beverage ratio is 4 ml of essence per 350 ml of beverage or a ratio of 1.1 to 100.
For all kinds of flavored beverages the essence to beverage ratio will vary depending upon the formula for the selected beverage and or according to local or cultural preferences. For non-flavored beverages the precise ratio is zero essence added to the beverage, or in other words, no flavored essence is added to the selected non-flavored beverage. However, dispensing a flavored and non-flavored beverage from a single dispensing head may create a less than homogeneous beverage due to unwanted residual essence in the dispensing head. Such residual essence in the valve may undesirably contaminate a resultant dispensed beverage. As such there exists a need for a soft drink dispensing machine having dispensing heads with the ability to selectively dispense flavored and non-flavored without cross-contamination.
In addition, it may be more desirable to leave an existing valve structure intact. In some cases it is not cost effective to replace an entire valve structure, for example, when only a single beverage may be considered for the addition of a bonus flavor. In this case, it is desirable to provide a bonus flavor without altering the existing structure and it is desirable to provide such a feature while working within the physical confines of that existing structure.